Fix labor law to allow Volkswagen to expand: Other View

Local 25 Iron Workers working at Comerica Park attach and hoist a UAW sign as UAW members and labor unions along with Democratic Party allies gathered Friday, February 24,2012. in Detroit to protest Mitt Romney before his speech to the the Detroit Economic Club at Ford Field. JESSICA J.TREVINO/Detroit Free Press (Via OlyDrop)

Controversy surrounding last week's vote by Volkswagen workers rejecting unionization under the United Auto Workers ended up casting doubt on whether the world's second largest automaker would expand operations in Tennessee. We believe the focus is on the wrong issue.

What the German company wants is to establish a works council at the plant. It operates works councils at every other Volkswagen plant. Works councils represent blue collar and white collar workers in helping negotiate working conditions such as safety and production issues, but not pay. Volkswagen is highly supportive of works councils as good for the company and good for workers. More important, no one appears to be in opposition to establishing such a works council at the Chattanooga plant.

Republican Sen, Bob Corker, who helped recruit Volkswagen while mayor of Chattanooga, spoke out strongly against workers approving the UAW. He even went so far as to claim he had inside information that the company would not expand the plant to produce the new mid-size sport utility vehicle if workers chose to unionize. Corker's remarks have been roundly criticized as interfering with the vote.

The one person who has made sense during the controversy is Gov. Bill Haslam. He noted that Tennessee has recruited and worked with companies that are unionized and non-unionized. He said the state has no union litmus test in recruiting economic development. He also pointed out that Tennessee's right-to-work status and largely non-unionized workforce has been a major factor in recruiting Japanese companies. He also noted that the move toward unionization could dissuade smaller manufacturing suppliers from locating in Tennessee. These are sensible facts and observations.

What no one seems to be asking is why Volkswagen can't have works council without having the United Auto Workers represent rank and file workers. Apparently, this is somehow a function of U.S. labor law.

If Sen. Corker wants to go to bat for Volkswagen and Tennessee workers, he should be championing a change in labor law that would allow Volkswagen to operate its plant in Tennessee with a works council without the underlying UAW union.

Tennessee and the South long have been attracting large manufacturers in part because they and their suppliers can operate without labor unions. That has helped spur economic development and has attracted thousands of jobs. It has made the South the new center of auto manufacturing in America. We see no reason to change that approach.

It is clear from Volkswagen management that the company remains neutral on the union issue. But what also is clear is that Volkswagen wants a works council in Chattanooga. Worker rejection of the UAW should not be allowed to endanger Volkswagen expansion in Tennessee. Let's fix the labor law so the company can function here as it does at its plant in Mexico and others around the world. If we fail to fix this problem, Mexico is in line to get production of the new SUV.